Hinged post for loose-leaf binders.



No. 846,230. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907 L. M. MORDBN.

HINGBD POST FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDBRS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 26,1904.

a w w LUCEN A M. MORDEN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

HINGED POST FOR LOOSE-LEAF BINDERS.

Specificationbf Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed February 26, 1904. Serial No. 196.409.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUOENA M. MoRDEN, a citizen of the United States, Whose residence and post-ol'lice address is 59 Grand street,

aterbury, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hinged Posts for Loose-Leaf Binders, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention is applicable to any binder or paper-file for holding papers together in which a post is projected upwardly from a flat base to receive the papers; and the invention is intended particularly to obviate the difficulty in storing such post-binders when the papers do not fill the posts, as the posts in such case project above the pile of papers so as to prevent such files from being conveniently piled on top of one another. To avoid such projection of the posts, it has been common heretofore to make the posts of separable sections and to connect such sections by means of screw-threads, so that any portion which projected above the papers can be detached. By detaching any portion of the posts the separated part is liable to be lost, and the present invention obviates such liability by hinging the sections of the post together at their contiguous ends so that when the papers are filed upon the posts up to one of the joints the portion projected above the papers may be folded down upon the same, and thus occupy less space when the files and binders are piled together for storage.

In post-binders Which are provided with a hinged cover for the top of the papers only two posts are commonly used, and in such case the hinged posts may be bent downward over the top of the cover; but the invention may be also applied to that class of binders in which a support is provided adj acent to each post, with arches extending to the posts, over which any of the papers may be lifted to permit access to any of the papers below the top. Such arch portion is often made movable to permit the application of papers to or their removal from the posts. In such case the posts and supports may be hinged to bend laterally at the same level, so that they may be turned down upon the papers without disturbing the relation of the arch to the adjacent parts.

The invention is applicable to the linki ,l l

shaped rings, a pair of which is often used for securing a thick group of perforated sheets together, and the term post is used herein with reference to one side of such a link to describe the impaling member, to which the papers are applied when the end of the link is opened for their application. The term post is used in the case of post-binders in refer ence to the impaling member, and it thus applies to one side of such a link, whether the same be held in the upright position or not, although a group of perforated sheets when laid upon a table loosely holds the sides of the link in an upright position.

The present invention also furnishes, in connection with the hinge-joint of the sections, a spring to hold the posts in a straight or flexed position, as desired. A leaf-spring may be applied to operate like that in a pocket-knife; but I prefer to lap or fork the ends of the parts at the hinge-j oi nt and square one of such ends to form corners and form a tubular socket within the post adjacent to the hinge-joint with a spiral spring therein and a plug adapted to bear upon such corners. The plug when pressed upon adjacent sides of the corner operates to hold the post respectively in a straight and flexed position.

lhe invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in whicl1- Figure 1 shows the end of a post-bi1ider aving a cover for the papers with the upper portion of the posts bent down upon the cover and dotted lines extended upwardly showing the position of the posts when applying or removing the papers. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a paper-file having a support with movable arch fitted to the top of each post. One of the arches is shown opened, as would be the case with both when applyin or removing the papers, and dotted lines are shown indicating the turning of one of the arches downward upon the papers. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the hin 'epins of the double-jointed post, which is s iown in Fig. 1 with spiral springs operating upon the hinge-joints. Fig. 4- is a view of the same post transverse to the hinge-pins with the two upper joints in section. Fig. '5 shows a double-jointed post partly flexed and having leaf-spring applied to the hinges. Fig. 5 is an end view of the middle joint shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows a side view of a link for paper-files provided with transverse joint at the middle, and a base and clip shown in section. Fig. 7 is an edge view of the link, with dotted lines indicating the position when flexed.

A designates the base of the file or binder, B the pile of papers thereon, and O the cover shown upon the papers in Fig. 1.

The post in Figs. 1 to 5 is shown formed of three sections, (marked a, a, and a respectively,) the section a being shown with a screw-thread at one end for securing in a base. Each section is formed at the end with a tongue I) or fork c and the tongues fitted to such forks and united by hinge-pin d. The tongues b are shown squared at the ends, and in Figs. 3 and i the adjacent portion is shown with cylindrical socket a, containing a spring f, and a movable plug g, which is pressed by the spring toward the tongue I). When pressed upon the square end of the tongue, it holds the sections in line with one another, as shown in Fig. 3. When the sections are turned upon the hinge-pin, the corner forces the plug down upon the spring, as shown in Fig. 4, and when bent to a right angle the plug presses against the side of the tongue and holds the bent portion in its flexed position, as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 5 the middle section a is shown with a leaf-spring recessed into one side of such section and its ends extended past the hinge ends of the adjacent sections. Such sections are formed each with a notch 7b to receive the ends of the spring, and such notch forms a corner with the transverse end adjacent to the hingepin. Such spring operates, the same as the plug 9, by contact with the side or end of the adjacent section to hold the parts extended or flexed, as may be desired. Fig. 2 shows supports 71, attached to the base beyond the ends of the papers B and projected upwardly parallel with the posts, and arched arms j, extended from the tops of the supports into contact with. the upper ends of the posts and pivoted upon the supports so that they may be turned to open the arch, as shown upon the nearer arch in Fig. 2. Such construction is useful for applying the papers to the posts, and my improvement consists in forming corresponding hinge-joints (lettered D in Fig. 2) in each post and its adjacent support i, so that they may be turned laterally downward upon the papers, as indicated by the dotted lines I in Fig. 2. The joints are so disposed as to hold the two parts parallel when they are turned downward, thus retaining the arch j in the same relation to the posts and support when-those parts are flexed.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a link construction which is preferable for a combined post and support, as it affords them an integral. connection at the bottom, which holds the arched arm more firmly in its working position. Such link may be secured to a base A by any suitable means, such as the sheetmetal clip A (Shown in section in Fig. 6

1 The link is :shown with parallel sides which form the post and support, and the hinge joints (marked D) are snownupon the middle of such post and support and so disposed that the link can be bent laterally m the middle, as indicated by the dotted lines I in Fig. 7. Such disposition of the hinge-joints retains the arch in the same relation to the support and post as already described in reference to the construction in Fig. 2.

It is well known that rings provided each with an opening sectionare used in connection with perforated sheets for securing a group of such sheets together, and the jointed link shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is in tended for similar use.

The invention is applicable to other forms of binders than those shown herein and to links of any shape which are suited for filing papers, provided such links have two opposite sides which may be hinged to bend in the same plane.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that the turned-down portions of the posts, which are held in their flexed position by the springs applied to their joints, serve as an effective lock for holding the cover of the binder upon the papers, so that the cover does not need to be provided with a latch or clamp of any kind to grip the posts. Such operation of the bent portions of the posts is the same whether the space between the covers is entirely filled (as shown in the drawing) or not.

By making the post with two or more joints (two being shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4) the post is adapted to be bent over at differ ent points in its length in accordance with the extent to which the papers are piled upon the post. In like manner the flexed portions, one of which is indicated by the dotted lines I in Fig. 2, serve to hold the papers down upon the base, and thus secure them upon the posts in the desired manner for storage.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is 1. A post for a paper-file having a plurality of sections each formed with lapped ends at the joint, with one of such ends squared transversely to form corners, the adjacent part having a tubular socket with spring therein, and a loose plug adapted to bear upon such corners to hold thepost in a straight or flexed position, as desired.

2. In a paper-file, the combination,'with a suitable base, of a pair of hinged posts adapted to receive suitably-perforated sheets of j paper, a pair of adjacent supports with arms movable to and from the said posts to secure the papers thereon, and such support and post hinged to bend downward over the pile of papers when required.

3. In a paper-"file, the combination, witha post for holding perforated papers together,

of a support having integral connection at the base with the post, an arm upon such support movable to and from the said post to secure the papers thereon, and such post and sup- 5 port hinged to bend downward over the pile of papers when required.

4. In a paper-file, an endless link having parallel sides forming a post for holding perforated papers together and a support ad- 1 o jacent to such post, one end of the link forming an integral connection between such post Witnesses.

LUOENA M. MORDEN. Witnesses:

L. LEE, THOMAS S. CRANE. 

